Did You Know: Many Gluten-Free Foods Are High In Calories And Sugar & Low On Fiber And Protein!

Many Gluten-Free Foods Are High In Calories And Sugar 

Many Consumers spend extra money on gluten-free products although such items leave them with less protein and higher content of both sugar and calories compared to regular gluten-containing alternatives. 

This study compared gluten-free products with their gluten-containing counterparts and the findings suggested that many perceived benefits of gluten-free products — such as weight control and diabetes management — are exaggerated.

A research comparison between gluten-free items and gluten-based products indicated that most reported advantages about gluten-free products are not supported by actual scientific data. Numerous gluten-free food products today offer insufficient concentrations of dietary fibre together with essential protein content and important nutrients. The addition of supplements by manufacturers does not compensate for the negative effects caused by dietary fibres integrated into processing procedures that prevent protein digestion.

The sugar content of gluten-free products exceeds the sugar levels present in regular food items containing gluten. The implementation of long-term gluten-free diets leads to BMI increase and nutritional deficiencies in patients who follow this dietary path. Products with gluten content below 20 parts per million do not contain wheat, rye or barley nor can they have oats as they are primary arabinoxylan non-starch polysaccharide sources. Arabinoxylan delivers multiple wellness advantages to the body because it stimulates favourable gut microorganisms and helps digestion while managing blood glucose levels and fostering healthy gut microorganisms.

The search for gluten-free products yields limited success since no product offers premium protein and dietary fibre with minimal carbohydrates and reduced sugar content. Gluten-free seeded bread provides substantially higher amounts of fibre because it contains 38.24 grams of fibre for every 100-gram comparison. Manufacturers added pseudo-cereal ingredients like amaranth and quinoa hydrocolloids to gluten-free products because they play the role of water-soluble macromolecules used for making gluten-free baked goods with quinoa flour.

The term “gluten-free diet” has become a buzzword, much like “organic,” and is now a part of everyday life for many people, often without a full understanding of its actual benefits. While a gluten-free diet is a medical necessity for people who are sensitive to gluten, a condition called celiac disease, or for those with wheat allergies, others adopt a gluten-free diet due to perceived health benefits or because it’s a trend.

In 2024, the global gluten-free product market was valued at US$7.28 billion and projected to reach $13.81 billion by 2032. The U.S. market share is estimated to be $5.9 billion — a little less than half of the global figure.

Approximately 25 per cent of the U.S. population consumes gluten-free products. This figure is far higher than the the roughly 6 per cent of people with non-celiac wheat sensitivity, 1 per cent of people with celiac disease and even lower percentages of people with wheat allergies.

This suggests that many people adopt gluten-free diets for reasons other than medical necessity, which may not offer health or financial benefits.

Symptoms of celiac disease and gluten intolerance include stomach pain and bloating.